This weekend I discovered how to find the best lobster roll in America fifty yards from my hotel. I would like to share my experience with you and why I believe out of the hundreds of lobster rolls I've had in my life around the Unites States this was by far the best!
I decided this January to finally sell my house and make some major life changes. I had built it over 18 years ago and I wanted to let another family enjoy “The Goodman Groves”. Little did I know that my house would sell in three days in the middle of a global pandemic and I would have to relocate immediately.
This did not leave me with much time to find my new dream location on the water. My good friend and speaker buddy Bruce Turkel suggested I give myself a chance to breathe before making a kneejerk decision, because now I was literally homeless!
My whole life I have focused on solutions, not problems because anybody can point out a problem and sometimes when you're in the middle of it you can't see the solutions.
I'm glad I listened to my buddy Bruce and decided to breathe and look for a short-term fix to achieve my long-term goals. Driving down Interstate 95 I decided to get off on Commercial Blvd and head towards the beach. When my car crossed over the intercoastal bridge something weird and special happened.
I could literally feel the stress leaving my body. In a split second I knew I was in the right place. As I continued driving East towards the beach I looked forward and saw a sign at an archway entrance. It was the last stop sign where I was about to make a left before arriving at the beach.
The sign above the archway entrance to the beach said.
Relax ... you're here
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
This was the perfect place to spend a time out. To think, regroup and design my plan to move forward. Rarely have we had an opportunity in our lives for a time out!
Selling my house in the middle of a pandemic when much of life as we knew it was put on hold. This was a blessing! In fact, I found the most perfect location fifty yards from the ocean at an amazing hotel called The El Mar Boutique Hotel, where I had been the only tenant for a month.
How could this get any better? Until it did! This past Saturday I was feeling a little bit down, maybe even sorry for myself because I was not making progress as rapidly as I would have liked on several projects. This is a problem for many high achievers.
When I feel this way, I know I'm going to be dealing with one of my major challenges in life ... Stress eating! Oh yeah, “I eat a lot of stress along with pizza pies” as the late comedian John Candy would say.
Just before I left my hotel, I was having a conversation on the phone with a friend of mine Silvia who is a fashion designer and of owner of Olivia Preckel Fashions.
She was having a trunk show on Nantucket island and told me she was going to have a couple of days free before returning home.
I suggested that while she was there, she get a lobster roll, because they have some of the best ones in the United States based on my travel experiences. My goal today was to learn how to find the best lobster roll in America.
Off I went walking from my new place to the downtown area which was packed on this beautiful Saturday at the beach. As I walked past multiple restaurants that I pass every day I could not decide. What was I going to stuff into my face to make me feel better?
Note to anyone reading this, watching On YouTube, or listening to the podcast; the gratification is instant, but the consequences of overeating are long term.
After walking by what seemed to be 20 restaurants I headed directly to my favorite sign on the beach:
Relax ... you're here
Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
Now you should know that just to the right of the sign is a long fishing pier heading out to the ocean. At the entrance to the pier is a small restaurant with outside tables overlooking the beach and a few tables that are inside - outside. Giving you just enough shade while allowing you the experience of sitting on the beach.
The name of the restaurant is the Anglins Beach Cafe. Out front is a chalkboard sign and the first two items on the list are New England Clam Chowder and of course a Lobster Roll! That's it, I figured I must be getting some type of message from the universe and I looked for a seat.
The restaurant was doing a great job of social distancing with only three tables being used for the inside outside accommodations. I did not know what I was in for yet, however once I sat down the stress truly started to leave my body.
The waitress walked over with her mask on delivering the menus to my table. I made my decision the minute I saw the sign and ordered the lobster roll. As I looked out over the ocean and the beach with distress leaving my body, I reflected on the choices I had made to take a timeout, regroup, adapt, and move forward.
Sometimes, in fact most times in my experience I have found that I needed to slow down in order to move forward. This time in history would be no exception. As if the seafood heavens opened and the Angels started singing my waitress delivered the most beautiful lobster roll and plate I had ever seen.
When I took my first bite of this delicious roll, looking out over the ocean and reflecting on my decisions and choices I realized I was eating the best lobster roll in America! In fact I learned how to find the best lobster roll in America.
Still in deep reflection in the middle of this experience I knew there was a lesson to be learned about the best lobster roll in America. My lesson is that our experience is what we make of it! We are the captains of our ship, our lives, and our beliefs.
I hope the next time or the first time you have a lobster roll it's the best one in America wherever you are in the world because the choice and experience is up to you.
Keep making it happen!
Dr Rick
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